Video Gaming News - October 2002
Chicago, IL (October 9, 2002) - Midway Games Inc.announced today that
Metropolis recording act – KMFDM - and Black Black recording act – Trigger -
have provided videogame-exclusive songs for Defender, an all-new 3-D version of
the popular 1980s arcade classic. Defender is currently in development and
scheduled to ship October 21, 2002, for the PlayStation 2, with releases for the
Xbox, GameCube, and GameBoy Advance to follow in November 2002.
“The musical styles of both KMFDM and Trigger are a perfect match for the new
3-D version of Defender,” said Helene Sheeler, vice president of marketing,
Midway. “The groups’ hard, pulsating rhythms lend an even more realistic feel to
the intense, combat-action and strategic gameplay experienced while defending
and protecting the human race from an alien invasion.”
From Midway:
KMFDM
Rhythmic sensation KMFDM contributed a track entitled “Defender,” a remake of
Richard Strauss’s “Also Sprach Zarathustra,” known for its prominence as the
theme song from the 1968 movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. Two versions of the song –
the “Club Mix” and the “Ominous Mix”– are also available from Metropolis records
in the game.
The German industrial rock band formed in 1984 as a project of Sascha Konietzko
(programming/bass/vocals) and En Esch (vocals/guitar), which enabled them to
participate in a Paris art exhibition on the use of industrial components for
instruments. With their unique cartoon cover art, energetic live shows and
enigmatic name, KMFDM drew a large following by artfully incorporating lots of
explosive, metallic elements into the mix. In 2002, KMFDM signed with Metropolis
Records and have just released their latest album, entitled ATTAK. A
continuation and clear progression of past KMFDM projects, ATTAK, along with the
new single BOOTS (a cover of the Nancy Sinatra classic), exhibits KMFDM at its
glorious best while breaking into new dimensions in the process. Cohesive,
catchy hooks and contagious beats will captivate minds and make bodies move.
“What better fit for a 1980s videogame remake than with a band that was
formed during that time and is newly relaunched, as well?” said En Esch,
frontman of KMFDM. “We were really honored to be asked by Midway to create a
remake of ‘Also Sprach Zarathustra’ for Defender and can’t wait to play the new
3-D version at home and on the road.”
Trigger
Also contributing to Defender is electronica artist Trigger with the original
track “Vaunt.” Trigger’s sound is an alloy of beats, timbres and melodies forged
into heavy hooks, hypnotic beats and vintage synths blended to create a sound
that is at once familiar and uniquely original.
A two-piece combo inspired by the sounds of The Crystal Method,
Propellerheads and B.T., Trigger was formed by Todd Crumn and Janed Todd in 1997
while both attended the University of California, Berkley. The combined talents
of the pair's first projects included King of Techno, a voiceless experimental "indie"
band. They quickly discovered their talents dovetailed to create a full,
beat-driven sound that was absent in modern electronica.
Defender
An intense combat-action flying experience, Defender offers players the ultimate
in next-generation action and strategy. Players defend and protect the human
race from an alien invasion as they assume the controls of next-generation
combat-ready Defender ships. Battling an onslaught of vicious aliens, players
strategically pilot their ship through more than 20 treacherous missions
spanning the solar system -- executing dynamic tactical maneuvers such as barrel
rolls, 360-degree loops and spinning reversals to evade the enemy.
Featuring a new view perspective with a fully 3-D, third-person chase camera,
Defender drops players into the explosive action of an alien invasion where they
must combine strategic elements with speed, control and firepower to outwit the
enemy. Ship upgrades are also available with various power-ups including
shields, advanced weapons and hyperspace technology. Aliens can be taken head-on
in single-player campaign mode or defeated with a friend in the two-player,
cooperative campaign mode as you deploy an arsenal of weapons such as a grenade
launcher, fast-lock missile launcher, fireball launcher and gas launcher.
The Game Boy Advance version of Defender will not have music content.
For more information about Midway Games and Defender visit
www.defender.midway.com.
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